This invention relates to holiday and festive ornamentation. More particularly, the present invention relates to a new and improved decorative ribbon with internal lighting to create an external distinctive muted and diffused appearance along its length, and which permits formation of the ribbon into a desired position and shape.
Decorative ribbons are used for ornamentation, particularly during holiday and festive celebrations. Decorative ribbons are used on Christmas trees, wreaths, and mantles, among other ornamented items. The ribbons promote a festive atmosphere and highlight, complement, or emphasize the item to which they are connected. Often, the ribbons are formed into decorative shapes, such as bows, before attaching or placing them onto the ornamented item.
It is typical to rely on an external light source to provide illumination and visual emphasis to the decorative ribbon. The light source may consist of a single direct lamp located a distance away from the ribbon, such as an ordinary room or spotlight, or multiple light sources in close proximity to the ribbon, such as a string of conventional Christmas lights.
The illumination of the ribbon with a single direct light source often results in a shiny or bright appearance of the ribbon at various light reflection points on the ribbon. In addition, portions of the ribbon that are not directly exposed to the single direct light source appear darker than other portions of the ribbon. The lighter and darker portions of the ribbon create a non-uniform appearance to the illuminated ribbon. When the ribbon extends to the side or around the ornamented item upon which it is connected, the light from a single source will often not highlight the entire ribbon. The single direct light source also illuminates other objects or areas near the ribbon, which detracts from the visual emphasis of the ribbon.
When multiple light sources in a string are attached to the ornamented item near the ribbon or directly to the ribbon itself, the visual lighted emphasis of the ribbon may be increased, but the close proximity of the exterior lights also result in a non-uniform appearance of the ribbon. Sometimes, the exterior lights can be so distinctive and intense that they overwhelm the visual impact of the decorative ribbon. In addition, some light sources may pose a fire danger if they come into contact with the ribbon. Furthermore, time and effort is required to position the light strings in relation to the ribbon to achieve the desired visual emphasis and prevent a fire danger.
Conventional decorative ribbons lack rigidity of physical form. A conventional decorative ribbon will usually not hold its shape after the ribbon has been formed into a desired position or shape. The position and shape of a conventional decorative ribbon are often held by use of additional attachment and retention devices such as clips and wires to fasten the ribbon onto its underlying ornamented item and to maintain the shape of the ribbon. The use of the separate attachment and retention devices adds complexity and inconvenience to the process of positioning the ribbon on an ornamented item or forming a decorative structure, such as a bow, from the ribbon.
It is with respect to these and other considerations that have given rise to the present invention.
One aspect of the present invention relates to a decorative lighted ribbon with internal lights for illuminating the ribbon. The internal illumination of the ribbon provides an external uniform, muted and diffused visual appearance along the entire length of the ribbon. The internal illumination of the ribbon also provides visual emphasis of the ribbon in relation to surrounding ornamented items. Another aspect of the invention relates to a decorative lighted ribbon made of a fire-retardant fabric material. The fire-retardant fabric material reduces the fire danger from the heat from the internal lights in close proximity or contact with the ribbon.
Another aspect of the present invention relates to a decorative lighted ribbon with an internal structure for holding the position and shape of the ribbon. The internal structure, such as a malleable wire along the edges of the ribbon, holds the ribbon into a position or shape into which it is formed without the need of external devices, such as fasteners or retainers. The ribbon becomes self-supporting and position-retaining to hold its position and shape until later changed. The malleable wire internal structure also maintains the ribbon in a flat, sheet-like appearance and shape, even with the internal lights within the ribbon. Moreover, the malleable wire internal structure allows the ribbon to be formed into a variety of decorative shapes, such as bows, and does not interfere with the light string within the ribbon.
Another aspect of the present invention relates to a decorative lighted ribbon with electrical connectors at each end of the internal light string which extends internally and through the length of the ribbon. Two or more decorative lighted ribbons can be connected together in an end-to-end fashion using these electrical connectors. One long continuous internally lighted ribbon may be made from a number of the connected shorter ribbons, thus increasing the opportunities for festive decorating.
In accordance with these and other aspects of the invention, the decorative, internally-lighted ribbon comprises a light string, and two elongated strips of flexible, semi-translucent material. The strips are connected along their longitudinally-extending and transversely spaced apart edges to form a hollow, elongated sleeve-like enclosure. A light string extends substantially along the length of and within the sleeve-like enclosure. The semi-translucent material of the strips transfers light from the light string through the strips to create an exterior visual appearance of internal lighting along the length of the connected strips. An alternative of the decorative, internally-lighted ribbon is intended for use with a light string and comprises two elongated strips of flexible, semi-translucent material connected along their longitudinally-extending and transversely spaced apart edges to form a hollow, elongated sleeve-like enclosure. An opening structure at each end of the elongated sleeve-like enclosure receives the light string. A structural element extends along the strips to hold the sleeve-like enclosure in a generally flat ribbon-like configuration upon insertion of the light string into the sleeve-like enclosure. The semi-translucent material of the strips have characteristics which allow the light from the interior of the sleeve-like structure to propagate through the sleeve-like enclosure and create an exterior visual appearance of internal lighting along the length of the connected strips.
Other preferred aspects of the decorative, internally-lighted ribbon include a wire extending along the length of the strips to hold the strips in position. The wire preferably has malleable characteristics allowing the strips to be bent without breaking. The wire preferably extends along each longitudinally-extending and transversely spaced edge of the strip to maintain the strips in a generally flat configuration of the ribbon and inhibit the connected strips from assuming a generally tubular shape. An enclosure for each wire is formed by joining the strips of material on opposite sides of the wire, such as by a seam of threads stitched through the strips of material on opposite sides of the wire. The strips also preferably have fire-retardant characteristics to resist flammability from heat generated by the light string. The strips may be formed of a fabric material woven from metallic threads or chemically treated with a fire retardant substance. The metallic threads may reflect light through a plurality of interstices resulting from weaving the fabric of the strips from threads, some of which are metallic. The light string preferably includes electrical connectors at opposite ends which extend from a sleeve-like enclosure of the ribbon. The electrical connectors connect other light strings and sleeve-like enclosures in a continuous end-to-end relationship. The flexibility of the lighted ribbon permits it to be formed into decorative shapes, such as a bow.
Another aspect of the invention relates to a method of internally lighting and decorating a ribbon comprising the steps of connecting two elongated strips of flexible, semi-translucent material along their longitudinally-extending and transversely spaced-apart edges to form a hollow, elongated sleeve-like enclosure having open ends at opposite ends of the sleeve-like enclosure; inserting a light string into one of the open ends, through the sleeve-like structure, and out the other open end; and energizing the light string to transfer light from the light string through the strips to create an exterior appearance of internal lighting along the length of the connected strips. A further aspect of the invention relates to a method of constructing an internally-lighted ribbon for use with a light string comprising the steps of connecting two elongated strips of flexible, semi-translucent material along their longitudinally-extending and transversely spaced-apart edges to form a hollow, elongated sleeve-like enclosure having a size capable of receiving a light string within the interior of the sleeve-like enclosure, extending a structural element along the elongated sleeve-like enclosure to hold the sleeve-like enclosure in a generally flat ribbon-like configuration upon the insertion of a light string within the interior of the sleeve-like structure, and selecting strips having characteristics allowing the transfer of light from the interior of the sleeve-like structure through the strips to create an exterior visual appearance of internal lighting along the length of the connected strips.
A more complete appreciation of the present invention and its improvements can be obtained by reference to the accompanying drawings, which are briefly summarized below, by reference to the following detailed description of a presently preferred embodiment of the invention, and by reference to the appended claims.